I've Got Questions with Sinead Bovell AI Could Disrupt Media… or Reinvent It | The Atlantic CEO, Nicholas Thompson
Dec 4, 2025
Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and former editor of Wired, dives into the complex relationship between AI and journalism. He explains how AI poses both threats and opportunities for media companies, and discusses The Atlantic's growth in a turbulent landscape. Thompson shares insights on experimenting with AI partnerships, the necessity of maintaining journalistic integrity, and the essential skills future journalists will need. He also touches on his new book, The Running Ground, exploring resilience and creativity through the lens of running.
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Why Media Is Hard But Survives
- Media faces structural pressure from ad platforms, attention competition, and declining trust.
- Nicholas Thompson says preserving core editorial identity while changing the business model enabled The Atlantic's growth.
Keep Core Mission, Change The Model
- Keep your institution's core mission and adapt the business model around it instead of reshaping mission to chase revenue.
- Thompson argues The Atlantic succeeded by publishing long-form work while building a subscriber-based business.
Demand Fair Value From AI Firms
- Negotiate compensation when AI companies use your content and seek fair exchange of value like links or licensing fees.
- Thompson says take payments from firms that offer value and sue or block those that take content without return.
